If it were up to some individuals, it would be Halloween all year round. Not because of all the scary costumes and trick or treating-but instead of all pumpkins. Pumpkins are usually associated with Halloween and aren’t used for eating but instead as decorations. So, I was thinking about all the waste of Halloween pumpkins. Is there anyone who would like to eat them? And of course, the thought went to my hungry backyard friends – the ducks.
Ducks can eat pumpkins, and they absolutely love it. Pumpkins contain a lot of healthy and beneficial nutrients paramount for your ducks without too many calories. Ducks can eat both raw pumpkins and pumpkin seeds. Due to the high amount of water in pumpkins, you should give it in moderation.
A too high amount of water in foods may develop diarrhea in ducks, which can cause dehydration, which leads to kidney problems. Since pumpkins only provide 26 calories per 100 grams, it’s important to feed in moderation. Otherwise, they will fill their stomachs with pumpkins and not eat regular foods that provide more energy.
Can ducks eat pumpkins?
Ducks can eat pumpkins and will benefit from it. Pumpkins provide a good amount of potassium and beta-carotene, important for fluid balance and eye health.
The orange vegetable is great to nibble directly on but can also be used as a bowl to hold other foods.
There are different ways of feeding pumpkins to ducks, but all ways have moderation in common. If you plan to give pumpkins to your ducks, you will need to be aware of the water content and the space the pumpkin takes up in their stomachs. Pumpkins are low in calories, and therefore an excellent food for dieting. However, your ducks don’t care about diets. They will fill up their stomachs as soon food is presented to them. If you are to feed ducks pumpkins, make sure it is with other food or afterward. Otherwise, they will fill their stomachs with pumpkin and don’t have room for food with more energy.
Table of nutrients for pumpkins
| Nutrient (unit) | Pumpkin |
|---|---|
| Weight standard (g) | 100 |
| Energy (kcal) | 26 |
| Energy (kJ) | 109 |
| Carbohydrates (g) | 4.4 |
| Fat (g) | 0.1 |
| Protein (g) | 1 |
| Fiber (g) | 1.7 |
| Water (g) | 92 |
| Alcohol (g) | 0 |
| Ashes (g) | 0.8 |
| Monosaccharides (g) | 2 |
| Disaccharides (g) | 0.7 |
| Sucrose (g) | 0.7 |
| Sugars (g) | 2.7 |
| Total saturated fatty acids (g) | 0.05 |
| Fatty acid 4: 0-10: 0 (g) | 0 |
| Lauric acid C12: 0 (g) | 0 |
| Myristic acid C14: 0 (g) | 0.01 |
| Palmitic acid C16: 0 (g) | 0.04 |
| Stearic acid C18: 0 (g) | 0 |
| Arachidic acid C20: 0 (g) | 0 |
| Total monounsaturated fatty acids (g) | 0.01 |
| Palmitic acid C16: 1 (g) | 0.01 |
| Oleic acid C18: 1 (g) | 0 |
| Total polyunsaturated fatty acids (g) | 0 |
| Linoleic acid C18: 2 (g) | 0 |
| Linolenic acid C18: 3 (g) | 0 |
| Arachidonic acid C20: 4 (g) | 0 |
| EPA (C20:5) (g) | 0 |
| DPA (C22:5) (g) | 0 |
| DHA (C22:6) (g) | 0 |
| Tiamin (mg) | 0.05 |
| Riboflavin (mg) | 0.11 |
| Vitamin C (mg) | 9 |
| Niacin (mg) | 0.6 |
| Niacin equivalents (NE / mg) | 0.77 |
| Vitamin B6 (mg) | 0.04 |
| Vitamin B12 (µg) | 0 |
| Folate (µg) | 22 |
| Retinol (µg) | 0 |
| Vitamin A (RE/µg) | 80 |
| β-Karoten (µg) | 960 |
| Vitamin D (µg) | 0 |
| Vitamin E (mg) | 1 |
| Vitamin K (µg) | N/A |
| Phosphorus (mg) | 44 |
| Iodine (µg) | 0 |
| Iron (mg) | 0.8 |
| Calcium (mg) | 21 |
| Potassium (mg) | 340 |
| Magnesium (mg) | 12 |
| Sodium (mg) | 1 |
| Salt (g) | 0 |
| Selenium (µg) | 0 |
| Zinc (mg) | 0.1 |
| Cholesterol (mg) | 0 |
| Whole grains total (g) | 0 |
| Waste (shell etc.) (%) | 29 |
🎃 Pumpkins among other vegetables is a perfect food for ducks. Learn what other vegetables ducks can eat here.
Can ducklings eat pumpkins?
Ducklings can eat pumpkins, and they love it. Ducklings can eat pumpkins after they have turned four weeks old. Before that, they will need to only eat duckling pellets. The duckling pellets are specially made for baby ducks and contain 22% of the protein essential for growing ducks.
You can start incorporating pumpkins into the duckling’s diet gradually after they’ve turned four weeks old. However, it’s important to still give them pellets for adult ducks, but you can add a small number of other foods you know you’ll give them when they are adults. I try to incorporate oats as early as possible, for example.
Do ducks like to eat pumpkins?
Ducks love the taste and smell of pumpkin. The sweet taste has them running to their feeding station when they see the big orange ball coming their way.
Ducks enjoy pumpkins the most when they don’t have to do as much work. If you can prepare the pumpkin so the ducks can ingest it quicker, they will be pleased.
Make sure the pumpkin is easy to eat, and the pieces aren’t too big for them to ingest. Otherwise, the risk of them suffocating increases.
🍊 Fruits is great to mix with ducks regular diet. Check out what fruits you can give to ducks here.
Can ducks eat raw pumpkin?
Ducks can eat raw pumpkin as long as you cut it into smaller pieces or make it easier for them to eat. There’s no need to cook the pumpkin for your ducks. My ducks prefer the pumpkin served raw, blended in a food processor almost like a purée state. Check below how to feed pumpkins to ducks in a safe way.
Can ducks eat cooked pumpkins?
Ducks can eat cooked pumpkins. It is crucial the pumpkin hasn’t been exposed to any spices or other condiments. Salt and other spices aren’t good for ducks and aren’t part of their natural diet. If you have roasted the pumpkin without seasoning, you can give it to them.
🐷 Did you know that ducks also eat meat? They eat slugs, frogs and other small animals. Do you want to learn what other animals ducks eat?
What parts of the pumpkin can ducks eat?
Ducks can eat most parts of the pumpkin, but there are some to be avoided. The parts to be avoided are the vine, tendrils, and stem. These are too hard for the duck to eat and shouldn’t be cut up for them to eat.
| Part of pumpkin | Can ducks eat it? |
|---|---|
| Vine | No |
| Leaves | Yes |
| Tendril | No |
| Stem | No |
| Pulp | Yes |
| Seeds | Yes |
| Fibrous strands | Yes |
| Skin | Yes |
| Flesh | Yes |
Can ducks eat the vines of the pumpkins?
Ducks can’t eat the pumpkin vines. The vines are edible to humans, but you shouldn’t give them to your ducks. The vines are too tough to eat and don’t provide the nutrients back for their effort to digest them. However, that shouldn’t stop you from eating the vines yourself.
Can ducks eat the leaves of the pumpkins?
Ducks can eat the leaves of the pumpkins. The leaves contain almost as many nutrients as the actual pumpkin. Before feeding them the leaves, you will need to shred or cut them since they are quite large.
Can ducks eat tendrils of the pumpkins?
Although edible by humans, you shouldn’t feed the tendrils to your ducks. The curly small vine is pretty chewy and doesn’t provide as much energy it takes from digesting it for the ducks. However, humans can eat it and chopped up; it can be perfect in a stew.
Can ducks eat the pumpkin stem?
The steam is pretty hard and requires much effort to digest. Even if you put the stem in a food processor, it would take much effort to digest it. However, it isn’t harmful to eat and can be eaten by humans. The taste isn’t too appealing to ducks, and they much prefer other parts of the pumpkin.
🎃 Leftovers from Halloween? Learn what human foods you can give to ducks here.
Can ducks eat the pulp of the pumpkin?
Ducks can eat the pulp of the pumpkin. It makes excellent purée and can be added to many other foods—for example, mashed potatoes.
Can ducks eat pumpkin seeds?
You can do this by removing the seeds from the strands and place them inside a colander. Rinse them under running water. There will be more seeds than you can plant, so ensure you you taking the largest seeds. Put the seeds in a paper towel, but do not let them touch each other. Otherwise, they will easily stick together. Let them sit in a cool and dry spot for a week and then put them in an envelope for later use.
Ducks can eat pumpkin seeds, and they love them. Pumpkins seeds provide good fats and are excellent to add to your duck’s diet year-round. Pumpkin seeds have many calories (445 calories per 100 grams), so it’s important to feed in moderation. Don’t forget to save some seeds to plant new pumpkins with.
Can ducks eat the fibrous strands from the pumpkin?
Ducks can eat the fibrous strand inside the pumpkin. Since they are pretty stringy and connected to the seeds, I suggest removing the seeds and blending the strands in a food processor before serving. Combine with the other edible parts of the pumpkin, and you will have an awesome purée to treat your ducks with.
Can ducks eat the skin of the pumpkin?
Ducks can eat the pumpkin skin as long as you cut it into smaller pieces. I suggest you add the skins somewhat already cut in the food processor with the other pumpkin parts. If there are long strands of pumpkin skin, they will easily get stuck to the sides of the food processor. It also helps if you let them swim in water for a bit before adding them to the food processor.
Can ducks eat the flesh from the pumpkin?
The flesh is the best part of the pumpkin. This is what both ducks and humans like the most. Ducks can and should eat it, and it makes a great purée. Before adding it to the food processor, try to make it into as small pieces as possible. If you’ve scooped out the flesh with a carving tool, you are fine. Bigger chunks need to be cut smaller to reduce a choking hazard.
🥜 Pumpkin seeds are excellent for ducks. Do you know what seeds and nuts you can give ducks?
Can ducks eat frozen pumpkins?
Ducks can eat frozen pumpkins as long as you defrost them first or blend them in a pumpkin smoothie for ducks. The defrosted pieces still need to be chopped into smaller pieces that will fit inside their mouths. Ducks don’t chew their food and will try to swallow it whole.
Can ducks eat unripe pumpkins?
Ducks and other animals like dogs can eat unripe pumpkins. The green unripe pumpkin is eaten edible for humans. One might think they are green to the amount of the poisonous solanine, but there isn’t any solanine in pumpkins. Pumpkins aren’t part of the Nightshade family.
🍃 Herbs are excellent for both you garden and for your ducks. Learn what herbs you can feed ducks here.
Can ducks eat moldy or rotten pumpkins?
You should never offer ducks or any other animal any moldy or rotten food. Pumpkins are no exception. Moldy food is toxic and can end up killing them. Please compost the rotten food and gave the worms and microorganisms a feast.
Can ducks eat canned pumpkins?
Canned pumpkins are usually filled with salt, sugar, and preservatives-three things ducks shouldn’t eat. The salt dehydrates them and may cause kidney problems. The salt is nothing but calories and doesn’t provide any nutritional value. The preservatives are chemical that isn’t found naturally in their diet. The same goes for canned pumpkin purée.
Can ducks eat pickled pumpkins?
Ducks shouldn’t eat pickled pumpkins. Pickled pumpkin is salt, sugar, and vinegar. The salt dehydrates them, the sugar makes them overweight, and the vinegar is acidic, which may cause ducks acid reflux.
🥪 Do you have other animals besides ducks? Find out what animal fodders you can feed to ducks here.
Can ducks eat pumpkin pie?
There are so many ingredients in a pumpkin pie that ducks shouldn’t eat. I researched what a typical pumpkin pie is made of. (Source). The only thing is the water for making the dough.
- Flour
- Eggs
- Brown sugar
- Cornstarch
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Nutmeg
- Ground cloves
- Black pepper
- Heavy cream
- Milk
- Egg wash
Not a single thing is good for the duck to eat from that list.
How do you cut pumpkins for ducks?
Cutting pumpkins is an art by itself, and there are some ways to go at it. If you have cut some pumpkins in your day, I would assume you have your preferred method.
Since ducks can eat most things on the pumpkin, I highly recommend letting a blender or food processor do the work for you.
Some food processors might have a problem with the skin of the pumpkins. There are two ways to come through this.
Remove the skin from pumpkin
Using a peeler:
The most effortless way to remove the skin is to use a peeler. Make sure the peeler is really sharp. The skin is both tough and slippery. When you have removed the skins, you can chop them up into tiny pieces and add them to a food processor to make them part of the purée. Making the skins wet before helps them to get hit by the blades.
Roast in the oven and pull the skin off from the pumpkin:
If you have some spare time, this is the preferred method. This helps the pureeing process as well.
Set the oven to 450° F. Put some large pumpkin chunks on a tray and let them sit for 45-50 minutes.
You can, with ease, remove the skin from the super-hot pumpkin. This only works when the pumpkins are hot. I usually hold the pumpkin underneath with an oven mitten and use a kitchen tong to remove the skin. Chop the skin with a knife and add to the processor.
Chop the pumpkin into small cubes
The easiest way to chop pumpkins is to make them into cubes. However, it’s important to chop them really small. Too big pieces may get stuck in their throat. Using a veggie chopper for this task is extremely helpful.
Safe ways to feed pumpkin to ducks
There are numerous ways of serving pumpkin to ducks. Some require more energy than others, but the result is very happy ducks. Below are my ten best tips for feeding pumpkins to ducks in a safe way, and hopefully, you will try at least one.
1. Make pumpkin purée for your ducks
One of the best things my ducks love to eat is pumpkin purée. There is something about it that makes them rush over every time. Although it’s very bland and something human babies would like to eat, something still satisfies them. Perhaps the ease of eating it, the texture, and the sweet taste.
The best way to make a pumpkin purée for your ducks is to cut the pumpkin into large pieces and roast it in the oven. 450° F for 45-50 minutes. Let it cool down a bit, and add the pieces to a food processor. You might want to add some water to it for it to blend easier. When you have a puréed blend, you are all set. Let it cool at room temperature. You can store leftovers in glass jars for some days.
2. Making mashed potatoes with pumpkin for your ducks
One of my duck’s favorite foods is mashed potatoes with a lot of vegetables inside.
You can add carrots, broccoli, lettuce, and other things easy to mash to the dish. It’s important to avoid adding spices and dairy to the mashed potatoes. Here’s my recipe for mashed potatoes for ducks.
3. Make a pumpkin salad for your ducks
An easy way to add pumpkin to your duck diet is to make them a nutritious bowl of salad.
The best way to add pumpkins to a salad would be to add them as tiny cubes. They shouldn’t be too big to limit the risk of choking. Great foods to add to the salad are grated carrots, cauliflower, kale, broccoli, lettuce, green beans, almonds, cabbage, and corn.
Do not add baby spinach, onion, garlic, or avocados. It would be best if you avoided spinach since it hinders the uptake of calcium. The other foods are harmful to ducks and can be lethal.
4. Make them small cubes and give them as they are
An easy way to give your ducks pumpkins is to chop them up into cubes. It’s vital to make the cubes as tiny as possible. Chopping the cubes by hand becomes tedious after a while, and it goes much faster if you are using a vegetable chopper. I’ve used this for years, and it has saved me countless hours. With this chopper, you can ask your kids to help in the kitchen without having to share the knife with them.
5. Add the pumpkin cubes to water
Ducks enjoy food in the water. The water makes it easier for them to swallow and decreases the risk of them choking. Add the cubes you received from using the veggie chopper to a bucket of water, and you will notice how quickly the ducks will ingest them. It’s important to add them to a bucket of water and not their bathwater. The water they swim in can cause algae growth if exposed to foods.
6. Throw the pumpkin cubes to the ground
This is the simplest way to feed pumpkin cubes to your ducks and the best way to give wild ducks pumpkin. If you visit the park, you should avoid throwing food into the same water they swim in. Instead, please give them food on the ground. You can throw out some small cut cubes and letting the ducks forage for food. Duck’s instincts are to look and forage for food.
7. Add the pumpkin to their regular food
A great way to boost the nutrients in a duck’s diet is to add pumpkins to it. When you are serving your duck’s regular duck pellets, you can also add some pumpkin cubes. My ducks always receive oats, vegetables, and fruits with their pellets. If there are pumpkins available, they are mandatory food since the ducks love it so much.
8. Add pumpkin to a smoothie
The best thing about smoothies is that you can make them from either fresh or frozen foods. The next best thing is the number of nutrients packed in one single smoothie.
When I make smoothie bowls for my ducks, I add various fruits and vegetables. Some of their favorite smoothie ingredients are peas, bananas, pineapples, kale, celery, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and of course, pumpkin.
9. Make pumpkin soup for your ducks
As you know, ducks like things and food that’s liquid. The best thing my ducks like to eat is pumpkin, potato, leek soup with broccoli and green peas. Or, at least in the top five. It’s hard to know since they seem to love everything.
Pumpkin soup for ducks
- Roast large chunks of the pumpkin at 450°F for 45 minutes.
- While it roasts peel and chop potatoes and leeks. When there’s 20 minutes left start boiling them.
- Remove the skin of the pumpkin
- Add the hot pumpkin to the simmering potatoes and leeks.
- Start blending using a hand blender and turn the mush into a soup
- When there aren’t any chunks left you can pour it to a bucket and let it cool.
- Add some chopped broccoli, celery, peas, or cucumber or why not some of their pellets?
Don’t forget that spices and dairy aren’t allowed when you are feeding ducks.
10. Make pumpkin nice cream
The last tips on how to give ducks pumpkin safely are nice cream. Nice cream is homemade ice cream but without dairy products. Instead of dairy, you use frozen bananas. You can eat it plain but also add other fruits and vegetables – for example, pumpkin. Check out the video below on how to make nice cream. You will need to chop the pumpkin into small pieces. I recommend using a veggie chopper for this.
Unsafe ways to feed pumpkins to ducks
There are some things to be aware of when feeding pumpkins to ducks. They can’t eat everything (even if they would like.
Here are ten things you will need to be aware of when feeding pumpkins to ducks.
1. Too big pieces
Avoid feeding too big pumpkin pieces. The choking risk increases the bigger the pumpkin piece is.
2. In their bath water
Avoid feeding them pumpkins directly in their bathwater. The food will fall to the bottom and dissolve. This causes algae growth and can disrupt the ecosystem in the entire pond.
3. Not feeding the pumpkin in moderation
It’s important with all food to feed in moderation. Pumpkins are pretty low in calories, but it takes up much space in their stomach. If the duck fills their stomachs with pumpkin, they drop the motivation to find other foods and don’t get the required energy, causing them malnourishment.
4. The pumpkins are moldy or rotten
If there is mold on the pumpkins, you will need to throw them away. Mold is toxic and may end up killing the ducks. Even if the ducks aren’t eating the moldy pumpkins, they can still be harmed by inhaling the spores from the fungi. Throw away as soon as you see any mold.
5. Canned pumpkins should be avoided
Canned pumpkin contains salt, sugar, and preservatives. Ducks shouldn’t eat it.
6. Pickled pumpkins are not safe
Pickled pumpkins contain vinegar, sugar, and salt. Avoid feeding these to your ducks.
7. Pumpkin pie is for humans – not ducks.
Pumpkin pie doesn’t contain anything ducks can eat. Would you please not let your ducks have pumpkin pie?
8. Pumpkin vine
The vine attached to the pumpkin can be eaten by humans – not ducks. It’s too hard for ducks to eat.
9. Pumpkin tendrils
Humans, not ducks, can eat it. The curly vine is too chewy for ducks.
10. Pumpkin stem
The steam is too hard for ducks to eat. Even if you chop it up, it wouldn’t taste any good.
How often should I feed pumpkins to my ducks?
You can feed ducks pumpkins as often as you would like, as long as you don’t overdo it, and make adjustments to their other food accordingly. While pumpkins don’t have many calories, it takes up volume in the duck’s stomach. It’s therefore important to feed it with other foods, or after you have fed the ducks their regular diet. Otherwise, the duck would have filled their stomach with food, not providing almost any energy.
How much pumpkins can I feed to my ducks?
The amount of pumpkins you can give to your ducks is determined by the other food in their diet. If they have room in their calorie budget and stomach for pumpkins, you can incorporate it. However, it’s important to know that pumpkins are high in water, which can cause diarrhea. Diarrhea dehydrates the duck, which can lead to kidney problems.
Health benefits for ducks eating pumpkins
Despite the low amount of calories in pumpkins, they still come packed with important nutrients. There’s a great amount of β-Karoten, Vitamin A, and Potassium in pumpkins.
β-Karoten in pumpkins for ducks
The amount of β-Karoten is extremely high in pumpkins compared to other foods. β-Karoten is an antioxidant that helps to prevent age-related cognitive decline.
Vitamin A in pumpkins for ducks
Vitamin A is needed for vision, skin, and mucous membranes to function normally. Mild deficiency can cause night blindness, and severe deficiency results in decreased resistance to infections.
Potassium in pumpkins for ducks
Potassium is essential in the duck’s body when it comes to cell health and fluid balance. Potassium keeps the nerve cell and muscle cells healthy and the fluid balance in the cells level.
Conclusion
Ducks can eat pumpkins, and they love it. Ducklings love to eat it too, but they shouldn’t eat any until they’ve turned at least four weeks of age. Before then, they should only consume duckling pellets, specially made for growing ducks who need a high amount of protein in their diet.
It’s important to feed pumpkins in moderation due to the high amount of water. Too much water in the diet may cause diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration and kidney problems. The other reason to feed pumpkin in moderation is the number of calories. There are few calories in pumpkins and don’t give the ducks much energy from the space it takes up in their stomach.
Ducks can eat both cooked and raw pumpkins. The best way to prepare pumpkins for ducks is to roast them in the oven first.
Ducks can eat all parts of the pumpkin except the stem, vines, and tendrils.
Safe ways to feed pumpkin to ducks
- Make pumpkin purée for your ducks
- Making mashed potatoes with pumpkin for your ducks
- Make a pumpkin salad for your ducks
- Make them small cubes and give them as they are
- Add the pumpkin cubes to water
- Throw the pumpkin cubes to the ground
- Add the pumpkin to their regular food
- Add pumpkin to a smoothie
- Make pumpkin soup for your ducks
- Make pumpkin nice cream
Unsafe ways to feed pumpkins to ducks
- Too big pieces
- In their bath water
- Not feeding the pumpkin in moderation
- The pumpkins are moldy or rotten
- Canned pumpkins should be avoided
- Pickled pumpkins are not safe
- Pumpkin pie is for humans – not ducks
- Pumpkin vine
- Pumpkin tendrils
- Pumpkin stem
You can feed ducks pumpkins as often as you would like, as long as you don’t overdo it, and make adjustments to their other food accordingly. The amount of pumpkins you can give to your ducks is determined by the other food in their diet. If they have room in their calorie budget and stomach for pumpkins, you can incorporate it.